tychels Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I made a batch of the lip balm recipe that spellkast had posted, it's supposed to be likre BCN and I love it, except I think went moldy! I made it a couple weeks ago, I used flavor oils from Oregon Trails, Pineapple slices, candy apple and creamy coconut. I put it in the little clear pots, no color. I opened them up the other day, I was going to give them to friends to try and there is little white spots on the top and you can see through the sides and bottom, it looks there is little spots there too. Could it be mold? If so why would it go moldy and so soon? I am so sad, I have 20 pots of this and now I have to thow it away. Do I have to add a preservative to my lip balms? I didn't think I needed to. Here's the recipe I use if that helps4oz beeswax4oz coconut oil1oz shea butter3oz cocoa butter4oz sweet alomond oil (or 8oz. If you don't use fractioned coconut oil)4oz coconut oil (fractioned)I cut the recipe down, I didn't make this big of a batch..Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Lilac Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Was your bees wax and butters thoroughly melted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephD Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Hopefully someone else can answer but I did want to say that the ones me and my daughter made last night have white spots, kind of like some of my candles! lol Anyway, mine spots aren't mold because we just made them. Maybe someone else will chime in because I would like to know what the white spots are from as well.Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ah-soy Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Could be grainy butter, unmelted beeswax or crystallized FlavOil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yes, the beeswax and butter were thoughly melted, although the mixture seemed to cool and solidify pretty quickly, as I was pouring it into the pots. it wasn't grainy, I stired it very good. I just don't know as this is my first lip balm I have ever made. It's not green mold, if it's even mold at all, but just bumpy white spots. To me it looks like little white mold spots you would see if your cheese is starting to mold. I just noticed the candy apple doesn't really have any, maybe just a few. Hmmm, I don't know if it's the flavor oil crystalizing becuase I have never experienced what this would like like. My office gets pretty warm at times, but not hot enough for them to melt, don't know if that would have anything to do with it. Do you think it's safe you use? Has anybody had their lip balm go moldy? Not sure if i should trash it or not..Thank you so much for all your help!Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1 Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Could be grainy butter, unmelted beeswax or crystallized FlavOil.i was thinking the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Thank you very much for your help. Would it be safe to say it's not mold and I can use it, or should I toss it?Thank you much! Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I'm quite sure it's not mold. I don't know how to explain it, but it has something to do with the butters being melted and then getting hard again. That is, it's a cosmetic thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Oh, good that's what I wanted to hear! As long as I don't get some flesh eating disease from it..lol Thank you!Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I would guess, if you used unrefined shea butter, that it's the shea getting grainy. That's why I stopped using shea in my lip balms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSoaps Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I make a ton of lip balms, and I agree with most of the consensus here that it shouldn't be mold. Using butters in lip balms can be incredibly tricky. I actually stopped using shea butter in lip balms because I always ended up with gritty lip balms. Basically, as it cools, the stearin (one of the fatty acids) in Shea Butter cools more quickly than the rest of the oils and forms tiny pieces of grit. I've seen these show up on the top of my lip balms looking whiter than the rest of the lip balm, because it's white, and doesn't absorb the color of the other oils in the batch, it can stand out.The only other thing I can think to ask is regarding the flavor oil you used. Where'd you get it from? Was it intended specifically for lip balms? Some people recommend using oil based flavor oils that are used in candy. I've never used them, so I don't know if they'd cause issues in the lip balm, but they might. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Thanks Lindsey! That's good to know.. The Shea butter I got from Oregon Trails. The flavor oils were from Oregon Trails as well, there are specifically for lip balms.. It says lip flavor right on the bottle. What would be a good thing to use in place of the Shea butter?Thanks for your help! Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSoaps Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Thanks Lindsey! That's good to know.. What would be a good thing to use in place of the Shea butter?Thanks for your help! SharonI had an "oh duh" moment when this was suggested to me a while back. I still wanted the properties of shea, especially since my marketing is based around shea butter. But I swapped out my Shea Butter with Liquid Shea Oil. I had to up my beeswax and solid oils to make up for the consistency change, but the formula is now perfect! It's always absolutely smooth, creamy, rich. I love it. And it sells like hotcakes. I was forced into solving the grit issue for a huge international wholesale account for the lip balms. I was glad I fixed the problem, and I think the result is better than the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Sounds devine! I will have to try that.. The thought didn't even cross my mind..lol Since you've convinced me that it's not moldy, I just put some on and it's a tad grainy.. I like the way this lip balm goes on (except for the graininess) but to me it's not very moistureizing, it doesn't feel lile it soaks into my lip and I have to keep reapplying it often. I want something that will stay on longer...Any suggestions?Thanks bunches! Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSoaps Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I like the way this lip balm goes on (except for the graininess) but to me it's not very moistureizing, it doesn't feel lile it soaks into my lip and I have to keep reapplying it often. I want something that will stay on longer...Any suggestions?I've found that the oils used in lip balms can be very personal to the person using it. To those wanting to make their own (I don't give out recipes, because I make bases to sell...we're about to launch our lip balm line), I taking the oils you'd like to use and apply each one individually for a day or two. So if you're interested in using Almond Oil, for the next day or two, apply that to your lips as needed. See how it feels, how long it last, how "moisturizing" it is, etc. Then do that for all the different oils you'd consider. Once you get several that you like, create a blend to get the consistency you want, and try it out. Have others try it as well. I spent years doing this before I came up with the blend I now use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Have you tried Golden Shea, AKA Painya or Kpangan? I subbed this for my AK unrefined shea in lip balms and for me, it was just what my balms needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Thanks Lindsay for you suggestions, I will try that! I am going to send you an e-mail about you lotion bases..Carrie, No, I haven't tried that. This was my first try.. I have to order some supplies, so I will be on the look out for it to try. Thank you!! Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca_IA Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 As for the lip balm cooling too fast, I'll share something I used (but no laughing allowed).I use the bottles Walmart sells for condiments (thank you to the person that recommended these to me, even though she's on another board).I added the oils/butters to the bottle and heated this in water (a faux double boiler type thing). When everything was melted together, I put the bottle in an old 100% wool sock and was able to pour all of my bottles without any loss of temp in the butters/oil mixture.The tubes I filled were rubberbanded together and set standing up straight in a shoebox. Around the tubes, I stuffed washclothes (between the tubes and the box) and when all the tubes were filled, I put the lid on it and covered with a few towels (just like putting CP soap to bed). No grainies at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Getting back to your "mold," I just read a post on another forum, which like you, they asked if they had mold. Someone responded that it was probably a "bloom" on the beeswax which indicated was good, pure beeswax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Rebecca, Thanks! That's very clever..:smiley2: Sockmonkey,Thank you, ya, that's what it kinda looked like is when chocolate blooms..I got my beeswax from Oregon Trails.. I am just so happy it isn't mold.. I used it yesterday and am still alive today...lolThank you much!!Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morganst Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Hi, I'm 98% sure it's the shea butter that has granulated. When using shea butter you have to cool it down quickly to avoid the "beading". I usually stick products in the fridge or freezer immediately after pouring and this works for me. Good Luck!S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Sorry, I can't help laughing, it's such a great visual!eAs for the lip balm cooling too fast, I'll share something I used (but no laughing allowed).I use the bottles Walmart sells for condiments (thank you to the person that recommended these to me, even though she's on another board).I added the oils/butters to the bottle and heated this in water (a faux double boiler type thing). When everything was melted together, I put the bottle in an old 100% wool sock and was able to pour all of my bottles without any loss of temp in the butters/oil mixture.The tubes I filled were rubberbanded together and set standing up straight in a shoebox. Around the tubes, I stuffed washclothes (between the tubes and the box) and when all the tubes were filled, I put the lid on it and covered with a few towels (just like putting CP soap to bed). No grainies at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ah-soy Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 The first few batches of butter and balms I made back a couple of years ago were coming out grainy. Then I found this great tutorial and discovered it works like a dream. Hundreds of batches later, no graininess!In a microwave safe measuring cup, add all the ingredients except the fragrance oil. Melt, in 1 minute intervals in high until all the ingredients have liquefied. Continue to heat on low for another 2-3 minutes (do not boil). The continued heating will help prevent the butters from becoming grainy once solid. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tychels Posted January 29, 2007 Author Share Posted January 29, 2007 ah-soy,Thank you for the tip! When I made mine, I heated it just till it was fully melted.. I am going to make some more this week and will try that..Thanks! Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashlie K Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Heres a tip if youre using Shea butter in your lip balms.1. Temperature Control Method: Heat the butter to 170-185 degrees F and keep this temperature steady for 10-15 minutes. The steady heat will eliminate the fat crystals that are causing the graininess. Rapid cooling may help stop the crystals from reforming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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